The Cat 



plied with extra toes which do not come into bear- 

 ing on the floor. These nails are not subject to 

 wear and if allowed to grow may penetrate the 

 footpad and cause a very painful sore. They should 

 be occasionally clipped or filed to prevent such an 

 occufrence. 



Medical Care 



Medication. — Cats do not take kindly to medi- 

 cines, nor do they withstand much handling, thus 

 medical treatment is very limited. There are many 

 medicines for which they have no tolerance. These 

 include disinfectants, especially those of the coal- 

 tar group. They are partictilarly susceptible to 

 carbolic acid. Disinfectants must not be used on 

 the cat, nor on anything with which the animal will 

 come in contact. 



Sick cats prefer quiet and darkness, and seek to 

 hide away. Therefore, they should be handled as 

 little as possible. Never should they be placed in 

 strange quarters when it is in any way possible 

 to care for &em at home. The very change of 

 surroundings in many cases will be sufficient to cause 

 death to the animal. Cats succumb very quickly 

 to disease, and so it is essential that treatment 

 should be given early in the course of the illness if 

 the outcome is to be favorable. 



Administration of Medicines. — ^There are times 

 when it is necessary to give medicines to the cat, 

 and the most satisfactory manner is by the oral 



149 



